Cat B15Q Rugged Smartphone Does The KitKat Dance

Smartphones have definitely improved by leaps and bounds where their hardware specifications are concerned, but how many of them have actually toughened up? Sure, more and more smartphones do feature water-resistant capabilities, such as the Samsung Galaxy S4 Active and the Samsung Galaxy S5, but is there a rugged communications device that will help get the job done in more extreme situations? Cat has just announced the successor to their rugged B15 Android-powered smartphone, which will be known as the Cat B15Q.

The Cat B15Q also has the distinction of being “the first rugged smartphone available globally to support KitKat.” That would mean having it run Android 4.4 KitKat right out of the box, where it will run on a quad-core 1.3GHz MediaTek processor, sporting a 4” WVGA Gorilla Glass 2 display that does wet finger tracking to boot, a 5MP camera at the back with LED flash, a VGA front-facing shooter, Bluetooth 4.0 connectivity, 1GB RAM, and 4GB of internal memory, all crammed into a body that tips the scales at 170 grams while measuring 125mm x 69.5mm x 14.95mm.

It is said to be dust-proof, water-proof, and shock-proof (according to IP67, MIL SPEC 810G standards), and is tough enough to handle drops onto solid ground from heights of up to 1.8m. Not only that, it can also withstand the elements unlike us humans, working in temperatures that range from -13°F (-25°C) to 131°F (55 °C). There is no word on pricing, but it ought to be out later this summer. [Press Release]